Emergence of bacterial resistance to known antibacterial agents is becoming a major challenge in treating bacterial infections. One way forward to treat bacterial infections, and especially those caused by resistant bacteria, is to develop newer antibacterial agents that can overcome the bacterial resistance. Coates et al. (Br. J. Pharmacol. 2007; 152(8), 1147-1154.) have reviewed novel approaches to developing new antibiotics. However, the development of new antibacterial agents is a challenging task. For example, Gwynn et al. (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2010, 1213: 5-19) have reviewed the challenges in discovery of antibacterial agents.
Another approach to overcome the bacterial resistance to known antibacterial agents is to target the bacterial mechanisms, which helps it acquire and maintain the resistance. For example, several bacteria are known to produce enzymes (beta-lactamase enzymes) that hydrolyze the beta-lactam ring in a typical beta-lactam antibacterial agent. Once the beta-lactam ring is hydrolyzed, the antibacterial agents become ineffective against those bacteria. Several compounds, generally known as beta-lactamase inhibitors, are capable of inhibiting activity of one or more beta-lactamase enzymes, thereby restoring the efficacy of conventional beta-lactam antibacterial agents. Typical examples of beta-lactamase inhibitors include Sulbactam, Tazobactam and Clavulanic acid. Drawz et al. (Clinical Microbiology Reviews, Jan. 2010, Volume 23(1), p. 160-201) have reviewed the subject of beta-lactamase inhibition. U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,592 and US Patent Application No. 20100092443 disclose several compounds containing heterocyclic core and their use as antibacterial agents. The inventors have now surprisingly discovered nitrogen containing compounds having antibacterial activity.